Shoe with Interchangeable components

ABSTRACT

Users need interchangeable components of a shoe, including shoe soles and uppers, to maximize efficiency. The interchangeable shoe design described in this patent allows users to achieve interchangeability without eliminating functionality. The primary objective of the invention is to create an interchangeable shoe, by means of a sole that secures an upper unit using an insole a rubber strip, connected to a fabric to form an upper or a toe cap, that is placed inside a channel created through the combination of an insole and sole unit.

BACKGROUND

A casual shoe with interchangeable components is described. An interchangeable shoe, by means of a sole that secures an upper unit using an insole unit, a resilient material (here on after “rubber strip) connected to a fabric to form an upper or a toe cap, that is placed inside a channel created through the combination of an insole and sole unit.

Most shoe companies sell identical shoe designs, with the main differentiators being color or material type. Typically, the shoe's upper and sole are permanently sewn together. The present invention eliminates sewing the upper and sole together while maintaining a seamless, unified look.

BACKGROUND

The primary objective of the invention is to create an interchangeable shoe, by means of a sole that secures an upper unit using an insole a rubber strip, connected to a fabric to form an upper or a toe cap, that is placed inside a channel created through the combination of an insole and sole unit.

Interchangeable uppers give users flexibility to tailor a shoe's styles to an individual's needs. Users have the ability to wear casual shoes one minute and upscale shoes the next, without needing to purchase multiple shoes. The designs and colors of both uppers and soles can be mixed and matched to create various styles.

Accordingly, shoe soles and uppers wear down over time. Various types of damage shorten the life of non-interchangeable shoes, forcing users to spend more on new shoes. Interchangeable uppers and soles enable users to replace worn out or damaged pieces, without having to purchase entirely new shoes. For example, white shoes are easily stained. If permanent stains occur, the user can replace the damaged white upper at a significantly reduced cost.

There have been numerous attempts to create an interchangeable shoe. Some of these include U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,385 and U.S. Pat. No. US2011/0023326. U.S. Pat No. 2011/0023326 uses a zipper to attach the upper and sole to form a strong, durable interchangeable shoe. However, the zipper is visible around the entire shoe, compromising the shoe's appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,285 uses an upper that inserts into a sole. However, the upper covers the entire foot, similar to a sock, which can be uncomfortable to users. Our patent differs from the two mentioned patents by eliminating a zipper around the shoe's perimeter and using an upper and toe cap for a more relaxed fit.

Users need interchangeable components of a shoe, including shoe soles and uppers, to maximize efficiency. The interchangeable shoe design described in this patent allows users to achieve interchangeability without eliminating functionality.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the interchangeable shoes, including an upper unit, rubber strip, toe cap, insole and sole unit. This is the disassembled version of the interchangeable shoe.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of the insole.

FIG. 2B shows a side view of the insole.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the sole unit (outsole).

FIG. 4A shows a side view of the toe cap.

FIG. 4B shows a bottom view of the toe cap.

FIG. 5 shows the side view of the rubber strip attached to the upper.

FIG. 6A shows a schematic cross sectional view of the insole and sole unit. This is where the insole and outsole are disassembled.

FIG. 6B shows a schematic cross sectional view of the insole and sole unit. This is after the insole and outsole are joined.

FIG. 6C shows a schematic cross sectional view of the insole, sole unit, upper unit, and rubber strip. This is after the insole, sole unit, upper, and rubber strip are assembled.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the interchangeable shoe completely assembled, including an upper unit, rubber strip, toe cap, insole and sole unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 depicts a resilient material (12), (here on after to be called “rubber strip”) attached to an upper unit (13), also called a vamp, and a toe cap (14), that is inserted into a channel (not pictured) formed by the insole (11) and sole unit (10). Inserting the rubber strip (12) into the channel forms a connection that allows the upper unit (13) or toe cap (14) to be securely locked between the sole unit (10) and insole (11) and form a complete shoe.

The sole unit (10) is comprised of light weight, flexible material, such as rubber, thermoplastic polyurethane, or polyvinyl chloride. The sole unit is molded to have a channel (not pictured in FIG. 1), greater in diameter than the rubber strip (12), and extending along the perimeter of the sole unit (10).

The insole (11) has plugs (16) on the bottom that can be inserted into corresponding cavities on the shoe sole (10). Once the plugs are inserted into the cavities, the insole (11) and shoe sole (10) combine together to form a single wearable shoe sole.

The rubber strip (12) is comprised of flexible, moldable thermoplastic polyurethane or similar resilient material that is attached to the lower edge of the upper unit (13) or toe cap (14) and is inserted into the channel that runs along the perimeter of the sole unit (10). The rubber strip (12) forms a connection when inserted into the channel for the combination of various types of upper units (13) or toe caps (14). Various types of rubber strips are available in different styles, colors, sizes, and technical specifications. Although the connecting means can be a rubber strip (12), the connecting means can also include plastics, leathers, fabrics, metals, and other materials that facilitate the uppers' (13) connection or insertion into the channel (not pictured) formed by the sole unit (10) and insole (11), as mentioned by the assembly process that is demonstrated from FIG. 6A to FIG. 6B to FIG. 6C.

The upper unit (13) has a rubber strip that is attached to the its lower edge. The rubber strip is molded, sewn, glued, or attached via other means to the upper unit (13). The rubber strip (12) allows the upper unit (13) to be inserted into the sole unit (10) and placed in the channel (not pictured) that extends along the sole unit's (10) perimeter. The upper unit (13) can be fabricated from a variety of materials as known in the art, such as cloth, rubbers, plastics, composites, leathers, fabrics, etc.

The toe cap (14) has a rubber strip that is attached to the lower edge. The rubber strip is molded, sewn, glued, or attached via other means to the toe cap (14). The rubber strip (12) allows the toe cap (14) to be inserted into the sole unit (10) and placed in the channel (not pictured) that extends along the sole unit's (10) perimeter. The toe cap (14) can be fabricated from a variety of materials as known in the art, such as cloths, plastics, composites, leathers, fabrics, etc.

FIG. 2A shows the insole (11) from a perspective view. FIG. 2B shows the insole from a side view. The insole (11) is molded to attach to the sole unit (not pictured) via plugs (16) and a protrusion (17) that fit inside the sole unit's corresponding cavities (not pictured). When the plugs (16) and protrusion (17) are placed inside the sole unit's cavities (not pictured) the insole (11) and sole unit form a single, securely attached shoe sole. The insole (11), plugs (16), and protrusion (17) can be comprised of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), rubbers, leathers, fabrics, metals, various plastics, or other materials.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the sole unit (outsole). The sole unit (10) is molded to have cavities (18) for plugs and the protrusion (refer to FIG. 2A) from the insole to be inserted so as to form a cohesive shoe sole. The sole unit (10) can be comprised of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), rubbers, leathers, fabrics, metals, various plastics, or other materials.

FIG. 4A shows a side view of the toe cap (14). The rubber strip (12) and toe cap (14) are connected via a connecting means (19), which can be stitching, molding, adhesives, tapes, nails, or other methods of attachment. The toe cap (41) can be comprised of a variety of materials known in the art, such as cloth, plastics, composites, leather, fabrics, etc.

FIG. 4B shows a bottom view of the toe cap (14). The toe cap (14) or rubber strip (12) are molded or otherwise connected to several bumps (22) that form a locking mechanism with corresponding bumps on the rubber strip (please see FIG. 5) when the toe cap (14) and upper unit (not pictured) are joined together to complete the interchangeable shoe assembly process.

FIG. 5 shows the side view of the rubber strip (12) attached to the upper unit (13). The rubber strip (12) and upper unit (13) are connected via a connecting means (19), which can be stitching, molding, adhesives, tapes, nails, or other methods of attachment. The upper unit (13) can be comprised of a variety of materials known in the art, such as cloths, plastics, composites, leathers, fabrics, etc. The rubber strip (12) has several bumps (20) that form a locking mechanism with corresponding bumps attached to the toe cap (as seen in FIG. 4B).

FIG. 6A shows a schematic cross sectional view of the insole (11) and sole unit (10) where the insole (11) and sole unit (10) are disassembled. FIG. 6B shows a schematic cross sectional view of the insole (11) and sole unit (10) where the insole and outsole are assembled or joined. The wearer combines the insole (11) with the sole unit (10) by placing plugs (16) and protrusions (17) in the corresponding cavities (18) of the sole unit (10). Once the plugs (16) and protrusions (17) are placed into the corresponding cavities (18), as shown in FIG. 6B, a channel (21) is formed that acts as the foundation for the interchangeable nature of the shoe's design.

FIG. 6C shows a schematic cross sectional view of the insole (10), sole unit (11), upper unit (13), and rubber strip (12), where the insole (10), sole unit (11), upper unit (12), and rubber strip (12) are assembled. A toe cap (not pictured) and upper unit (13) can be placed in the channel (21) and extend outside the channel (21) created between the insole (10) and sole unit (11) to allow the rubber strip (12), toe cap, and the upper unit (13) to wrap or extend across at least a portion of the wearer's feet. As previously stated in FIG. 4A and FIG. 5, the rubber strip (12) and upper unit (13) or toe cap (not pictured) are attached via a connecting means (19), which is comprised of stitching, molding, adhesives, tapes, nails, or other methods of attachment. The upper unit (13) and toe cap can be comprised of a variety of materials known in the art, such as cloths, plastics, composites, leathers, fabrics, etc.

FIG. 7 is a side view wherein the removable upper unit (14), rubber strip (12), and toe cap (14) are combined with the insole (not pictured) and sole unit (10). The upper unit (13) and toe cap (14) are locked into place via the combination of the insole (Not pictured) and the sole unit (10) as previously described in FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, and FIG. 6C. The upper unit (13) and rubber strip (12) are inserted into the channel (not pictured), formed via the combination of the insole (not pictured) and sole unit, (10) as previously described in FIG. 6A, FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C. Once the toe cap (14), rubber strip (12), and upper (13) are inserted into the channel (not pictured), the combination process is completed. The wearer can disassemble the completed shoe by removing the insole (not pictured), the aforementioned action releases the locking mechanism used to keep the upper unit (13), rubber strip (12), and toe cap (14) in place. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A shoe with interchangeable components, the device comprising: a) a removable upper unit or toe cap, extending at least partially along the user's foot; and b) a resilient material extending along an edge of the upper unit or toe cap; and c) a sole unit; and d) a removable insole unit, wherein the insole unit can form a connection to the sole unit; and e) a channel.
 2. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein the sole unit comprises of thermoplastic polyurethane.
 3. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein the insole comprises of thermoplastic polyurethane.
 4. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein a connection of the insole unit and the sole unit forms a channel.
 5. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein a channel extends at least partially around the perimeter of the sole unit and removable insole unit.
 6. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein resilient material is attached to the upper unit or toe cap.
 7. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein a secondary connection forms when the resilient material is placed in the channel to facilitate the attachment of a removable upper unit or toe cap to the sole unit.
 8. The shoe with interchangeable components of claim 1, wherein a resilient material comprises of rubber. 